Schatz Praises Confirmation of Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior

Washington, DC—Today, the Senate voted to confirm President Obama’s nominee Sally Jewell as Secretary of the Interior.  In February, Senator Schatz met with Jewell to discuss Hawai‘i’s priorities, including the Department of Interior’s commitment to Native Hawaiians and the National Parks Service, as well as addressing the financial burden on the state of Hawai‘i as a result of the federal government’s Compact of Freely Associated States. Jewell has served as the President and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) for the past eight years.

“The confirmation of Sally Jewell as Interior Secretary is great for the state of Hawai‘i because of her ongoing commitment to a number of issues critical to the state,” said Senator Schatz. “I look forward to working with her and the entire Hawai‘i congressional delegation to ensure that Native Hawaiians achieve parity in federal treatment and the same government-to-government relationship with the United States as accorded to 566 Alaska Native and American Indian governments. Under her leadership, I also hope to advance the Pacific Islands Parks Act, which would grow Hawai‘i tourism and protect our natural resources by expanding the National Parks system in our state. Jewell will be a great friend and ally in President Obama’s cabinet.”

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